Frequently asked questions
How do I order satellite imagery?
Imagery can be ordered through our Canadian Order Desk, you can reach the order desk using the phone number or email found on the contact us page. The best way, is to provide a shapefile (*.shp) or the bounding coordinates of your area of interest along with the SPOT product and resolution you require, and any other specific date requests
How much will my order cost?
After providing BlackBridge Geomatics with your order requirements, you will receive a quote that details the cost of your imagery and the acquisition dates of the data. There is also a price list available by request here.
How long will it take for my order to process?
That depends on the size of your order, the availability of imagery and whether the satellite needs to be tasked to acquire data. Average turnover for WCSB imagery is less then a day and orthorectified Canadian imagery is two day
How do I receive my data?
The data is distributed online via a secure FTP site as a GeoTIFF (or comparable image format upon reqest). The data can also be delivered on CD/DVD via priority courier
What projection will my imagery be in?
Your imagery will be in the projection that you request. BlackBridge Geomatics is able to deliver imagery in a wide range of EPSG standard projection formats
What if I have other questions?
Please feel free to phone or email using the information found on the contact us page and we will respond to your inquiry as soon as we can
What if I have trouble accessing the FTP site?
The most important setting for your FTP client is to use active FTP only, passive FTP will not work. Please refer to this pdf for more information or contact us
Satellite Programming FAQs
How do I request satellite tasking for new imagery acquisition?
Satellite tasking is made easy by contacting our Order Desk. Our professional staff understand all of the important aspects of successfully acquiring new imagery for a client. You'll be asked to define your area of interest (AOI), acquisition window, and preferred sensor type. From there, you will be provided with a feasibility report that outlines all of the specified acquisition criteria, and an estimated time to successfully acquire the imagery. The order desk will also provide you with a quote that outlines the costs associated with acquiring the new imagery
How much does satellite tasking cost?
This varies depending on the geographic location of your area of interest and the amount of imagery being collected. Our Order Desk staff will be able to give you a detailed cost breakdown of the tasking fee(s) before the acquisitions even begin
How long does it take to acquire new data?
Our Order Desk staff have extensive experience with satellite tasking, and along with a feasibility report, can give you a very good estimate of when to expect your data. Typically, the amount of time it takes to collect new imagery depends on the size of the area of interest (AOI), and the normal weather conditions of the region that we are collecting the new data. Imagery for smaller AOI's, in geographic regions that predominately have good weather can be collected in a couple of weeks. Larger AOI's may take up to a few months to fully acquire. BlackBridge Geomatics also offers high priority programming if you need your data as soon as possible
How do I know when my data has been acquired?
BlackBridge Geomatics is constantly monitoring our imagery acquisitions. Typically we will inform our clients within 1 - 2 days of successfully acquiring their imagery. In the case of high priority programming, we will notify clients within 1 - 2 hours of acquisition. When collecting a large area of imagery over a long acquisition window, we are able to provide our clients with a collection status report upon request